It Just Takes Some Time
by Half-elf
Summary: Set a few years after the movie. Relationships change and some shouldn't have started at all. Sometimes it takes time to realize that. WarrenLayla.


AN: After recently re-watching Sky High I noticed one glaring mistake; how any girl in her right mind could turn down Warren Peace for Will Stronghold. No offence intended but I think it's weird. So, like a loan shark you haven't made payments to in a while, this story wouldn't leave me alone. Hope you like it. There is mention of sex in here as well as some adult language and a make-out scene. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: Property of Disney, not mine.

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

The first time Will and Layla were about to have sex they realized they weren't meant to be lovers. They've kissed previously of course and the kisses were always… nice. Never the fireworks read about in stories but that's all they were, right? Stories?

Anyways, they'd been going together for a while when they decided to go further. They were in her room, both nervous as anything, stripping when she turned around and saw him in his Batman boxers. And she couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. It didn't take long for him to join in. Soon they were both collapsed on the bed holding their sides from laughing so hard.

When the laughter faded into the occasional hiccup they looked at each other. Will spoke up first. "This is just too weird, isn't it?"

She sighed. "Yeah." They settled next to each other on the bed. "Well? What are we going to do?"

"I don't know about you but I don't want to make love to my sister."

"There really isn't anything here, is there?" He shook his head. "I just always wanted there to be that I guess I wouldn't let myself see anything else."

"Yeah, you can be pretty stubborn. Ow!" He rubbed his side. "Your elbows are bony."

She laughed at his exaggerated face. "We still friends?"

"Of course." He pulled her into a bear hug. "You don't even have to ask."

"Good." She gave him a push. "Now get your Batman covered butt off my bed."

He laughed and they both shrugged on their previously discarded clothing. "You wanna go see a movie or something?" He ran a hand through his hair.

"No thanks. No offence though."

He smiled and gave her another hug. "I still love you Layla. You'll always be my best friend. Us breaking up hasn't changed that."

"Thanks Will. I needed to hear that. I'll talk to you later." She walked him to the door and, after he left, she just wandered around the house. She wasn't sad or angry she was just… she wasn't sure what she was. She was a little disconcerted at having something she was so sure of proven untrue. Layla wasn't generally wrong. Feeling the need to walk, she grabbed her coat and headed out the door.

Not surprisingly, she found herself in front of the Paper Lantern. The normally quiet restaurant was bustling with activity. She spotted Warren busing a table in the corner. "Hey."

He smiled quickly. "Hey Hippie. I'd like to talk but we have a huge party and we're two waitresses down. They even have me waiting tonight."

The low growl in his voice had her laughing. She met his glare with a smile. "Let me pitch in. I'm ready and awaiting your orders, Sifu."

His eyebrow rose at the title but he still smirked in his special way. "Let's get you back into the kitchen and aproned up."

They headed back into the kitchen and as Layla hung her coat and tied an apron around her waist Warren had a conversation with the owner in rapid Chinese.

"Okay Hippie, you're all set." He handed her a tray and places three dishes on it (less than half of what he took). "Follow me."

She managed to make it over to the table without dropping anything but not with the flair he had. He took the plates from the trays in rapid succession then dragged her back into the kitchen for more. "You want plates or drinks?"

"Plates please." Her tray was piled higher this time. "Warren?" She received a slight grunt in response. "I wasn't able to follow most of that conversation but I did catch a few words. What was he asking about me?"

A slight flush might've touched his cheeks but she couldn't be sure because they had just reached the table. Again he passes around the glasses at a fast rate and she managed to get the right orders to the right people.

"I didn't know you knew any Chinese."

"Hanging around here so much allowed me to pick up a few words." She said with a laugh. "So what did he say?"

He handed her a bin and together they moved to bus two of the tables in the back corner. "He wanted to know if I trusted you. If you could do the job." He refused to look at her, just continued gathering up the dirty dishes.

"And what did you say?"

He sent her a smirk. "You're working, ain't ya?"

She smiled what he would call her Layla smile, brighter than the sun. "Thank you."

The conversation for the rest of the night was infrequent at best. Because, after a few tables, they trusted her on her own. She'd eaten there enough that she knew the menu inside and out. By the time closing rolled around she was exhausted. She cleaned off the remaining tables while Warren ran the vacuum.

The hum of the vacuum stopped and soon he was behind her, leaning past to get the last dish. Her breathing hitched as he stood close, heat pouring into her. The dish landed with a clink in the bin and he pulled slightly away. "Ya done, Hippie?" She could only nod mutely at him. "Let me grab that." With a flex of his muscles he lugged the heavy bin into the kitchen as she followed behind.

He turned to see Layla dragging behind him. "Why don't ya grab your coat. I'll be done with these in a sec." He moved off to finish cleaning when the owner stopped him. There was another quick conversation which ended with Warren shooting the owner a frustrated glare and her laughing loudly in return and he put the dishes on the counter. Turning, he caught Layla's eye. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

She waved goodbye to the owner who sent her a huge smile and a wink before Warren tugged her out the door.

They walked silently through the chilly night, just enjoying each other's company until he cleared his throat. "So where's Stronghold tonight?"

"At the movies."

"And you're not because…?" He looked over at her curiously.

She kept her eyes straight ahead. "Because I didn't think it was a good idea to hang out with him so soon after we broke up."

"You what?!" Warren stopped dead in his tracks. "What did he do?" He took her shoulders in his hands and spun her around to face him. "If he hurt you I swear I'll fry his ass."

She smiled. "Warren, as sweet as your threat to beat him up is, it isn't necessary. It was a completely joint decision." She patted his hand and continued the walk home.

He caught up quickly. "What happened?"

"We just realized we did not have one iota of sexual desire for each other. We were just friends who tried to force it into something more. That's all."

He let his hair, taken down as soon as they left the restaurant, fall forward to conceal his face. "And when did you find this out?"

She felt heat come to her cheeks. "Tonight. It's just good we realized before we did something stupid." They reached her house and hesitated at the door. "Do you want to come in? I can make us some tea."

"Sure." What most people didn't know and, if he had his way, would never find out is that Warren Peace enjoyed a good cup of tea. Maybe it had something to so with working in a Chinese restaurant all those years? But, whatever the reason, it wasn't the first time he'd joined her for some.

"I just made a new blend I think you'll like. It has a nice citrus flavor." Not long after they were sitting on the couch a warm mug wrapped in their hands.

"We were going to have sex." She said it as casually as she could and waited for his reaction. She wasn't disappointed.

He choked then sputtered then coughed before he managed to regain his composure. "God, Hippie! I didn't need to know that!"

Hiding her smile behind the mug she went on. "Well you wanted to know what happened. I'm telling you."

He placed the mug on the table. "I'm not sure I want to know anymore. It's not gonna damage me is it?"

"No you big baby. But, as I was saying." She gave him a pointed look. "We decided to go further in our relationship when we realized… we couldn't." She kept her eyes on the carpet. "I mean, there he was in his Batman boxers…"

"Batman? He wears Batman underwear?" He gave an evil chuckle. Oh this was definitely blackmail material.

She shot him a look and he quieted down, though she was sure he filed it in the back of his mind for future use. "Anyways, we couldn't, it didn't feel right. It would've been like sleeping with a brother, you know. That's when we realized that we had nothing between us other than friendship. I was an idiot for trying to turn it into more."

"Yeah, you were." He dodged the pillow thrown at his head. "Hey, I'm just agreeing with you." She stuck out her tongue and he smirked. "Brat." He stretched his arm out along the back of the couch and she moved closer to his warmth.

They stayed that way for a while, just relaxing after a hectic night. Good thing there was no school tomorrow. Then a thought popped into her head. "Hey Warren…"

He gave a sleepy "What?"

"Before we left, the owner called me something. She said it at the beginning of the night too."

"Mm-hmm." His eyelids were drooping.

"What does bao bei mean?"

He was awake and tense instantly. "I don't remember her saying that."

"Well she did. Twice. And she gave me a rather strange look when she said it too. Like she was… glad or relieved or something. What does it mean?" She curled her knees under her and turned to face him. He seemed uneasy.

"I don't know that phrase."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Don't bullshit me, Warren. I know you know." He maintained his stony silence. "I can always look it up you know. I went out and got and English/Chinese dictionary."

His jaw locked then he released the breath he had been holding. "Literally it means 'treasured object.'" She blinked in surprise but he went on. "Translated it turns into 'darling' or 'sweetheart'. It's a term of endearment."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Why would she call me that?"

"She was calling you _my_ bao bei."

"Oh…" She looked down at his tightly clenched fists. "Why?"

He bit off a harsh bark of laughter. "She likes to tease me. And since you come in so often… she just connected the dots."

She peered closely at his face. "Were there that many dots to connect?"

His hair fell forward again. "Enough for her. She likes playing matchmaker."

"Oh." She tried to sound as casual as possible. "Does she match-make for you often?"

He reached forward to grab the mug again. "Not often." He swallowed. "Not at all actually."

"Oh…" The silence stretched between them. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Then why me?"

"How am I supposed to know, Hippie? Ask _her_."

"Hmm, I just might." His head snapped around, eyes wide. "Well, you did suggest it." His growl only encouraged her further and she smiled. Not a normal smile, not her Layla smile. No, this smile was slow, seductive. And it wasn't her imagination because she could feel the heat of his gaze increase.

"I have to go." He grabbed his coat from the back of the couch and shrugged it on as he walked to the door.

"Warren. Warren wait!" She scrambled off the couch after him. He had stopped in the doorway, his face stoic, closed off. Beautiful.

She skidded to a halt in front of him, cheeks flushed, heart pounding. "Warren." His name was a mere whisper on her lips. She was unsure, hesitant. There was a flutter in her stomach that she didn't know what to do about.

"What?" His voice was uninterested, his face calm but his eyes… his eyes… they burned. She looked into them and her breath caught. Never had she noticed they were so captivating. While he usually kept his face free of emotion his eyes swam with them. Confusion, happiness, doubt… and hope.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a kiss. And, oh god, there were the fireworks she had waited for.

It was a few moments before he returned the pressure. His hands gripped her hips and dragged her close. But it wasn't close enough, she wanted more. She didn't want the heat to stop. Because, she didn't know if it was his powers or something else, but she was burning.

It was all going fine until she tried to take it further and traced her tongue along his bottom lip, begging entrance. Instead of giving in, he tore away.

He stared, both of them breathing hard. He broke the silence first. "Don't. We can't do this. Not to Will."

"But we're not together anymore." She couldn't hide the pleading note in her voice.

He shook his head violently. "It doesn't matter. He's my friend. I won't do this." Jaw clenched, back ramrod straight he stormed from her home. "Goodbye, Layla."

"One of the few times he uses my name and it's at a time like this." There was an awful note of finality in his tone. Needless to say, sleep was a long time coming that night.

O.o.o.o.o.O

She had only really fallen asleep the next morning when the phone woke her. She almost ignored it but her mother hated a ringing phone and years of training took over. "Hello."

"Hey Layla! You sound like you just woke up. Lazy. Oh man. You'll never guess who I met last night. Remember that girl, Natalya from our Mad Science class? Well we were at the same movie, _Zombie Aliens III_. Can you believe she actually _wanted_ to see it? I've never met a girl who liked those movies. Anyways, we ended up hanging out all night. She's really great. Oh yeah, how did your night go?"

"Will." She sobbed out his name. She just hated sounding weak but… she just couldn't hold it in.

"Layla? Are you okay? Jeeze, I shouldn't've said anything about last night. I'm sorry. But I thought you'd be okay with it and I was so excited…"

"I'm not upset about that, Will. I'm glad you found someone. I just, I just did something really terrible last night and I… and I…" She swallowed to loosen the lump in her throat. "I'm afraid I ruined my friendship with Warren."

"What happened?"

"I kissed him."

"You what!?"

She bowed her head even though he couldn't see it. "I kissed him. I'm sorry if I hurt you, Will, but…"

"No, no you didn't. I'm just surprised is all. Since when did you, you know, start thinking of him _that_ way?"

She racked her brain. "I don't know. We've been friends for so long… I never though about that. But, god Will, it just seemed so right. I acted on impulse. Stupid, stupid Layla. That's why you think things through."

"You're not stupid. Babbling maybe but not stupid. What did he do? Did he kiss back?"

"Well, yes, but it must've just been a reaction because he broke it off soon after." She smile sadly. "He's a good friend. He wouldn't betray your friendship." She dropped her head in her hands. "Ugh. He must think I'm a complete-"

"Did you tell him we aren't together anymore?"

"Of course."

"Did you explain why?"

"Yes. I told him everything. I went to the Paper Lantern to talk with him and wound up helping out 'cause they were short handed. Afterwards he walked me home. I invited him inside and told him everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything, Batman." I could picture the scrunched up face at the other end of the line.

"Did ya have to tell him that?"

She let out a chuckle. "I don't hide anything from Warren."

"Did he not believe you then?"

The notion that he wouldn't trust her hurt her, more than a little. "No. He believed me."

"Then what the hell is his problem?"

Another sad smile. "He doesn't want to betray your trust. And I think he doesn't want me to put myself in some weird situation. He really does care."

A growl came over the line. "I'll talk to him."

"Please, Will. Just leave it alone. He obviously doesn't think of me like that and he certainly doesn't need to be reminded of what I did."

"Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine. Have fun with Natalya." She hung up the phone and went downstairs to grab some food and do some work. After all, there was school tomorrow.

O.o.o.o.o.O

She didn't see Warren until lunch. She was already sitting at a table when he walked in. He scanned the crowd, eyes resting on her briefly, before moving to another table.

Will walked by shortly after. He gave her a wink and sat right across from Warren. She couldn't hear what was being said but she could tell that Will was doing most of the talking. And that Warren wasn't happy. The slight smoke drifting up from where he gripped the table was clue enough. Though apparently not for Will. He just wouldn't shut up.

Frustrated beyond his limits, Warren pushed away from the table and turned to leave when Will made one last comment. It must've been the straw that broke the camel's back because Warren decked him. No fire, no words, just a single punch. And it was enough to knock Will flat. Warren growled down at him one more time before spinning on his heel and leaving.

Slowly noise began to return to the cafeteria, as if nothing strange had happened. Layla tried to make her way over to Will but by the time she reached the table he was gone. She waited for him on the bus that afternoon but he never showed. Damn those flying powers.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Will Stronghold walked into his house that evening with a smile on his face and a huge black eye.

"Honey. What happened?" Josie Stronghold went to check him over while Steve stayed at the table.

"It's fine mom. Warren just hit me."

"He what!? Your best friend hits you and you're smiling?"

"Trust me it's a good thing." At their incredulous looks he continued. "I insulted Layla."

His mother looked furious. "I know you broke up but that doesn't mean-"

"He likes her." Josie stopped in mid-rant. "I was testing to see what he'd do. You know he didn't use his powers or anything. Just hauled off and hit me."

Josie sat down in a rush. _Her_ son, her _son_, was trying to play matchmaker. Albeit in a weird round about way. She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "William Stronghold, you can't be doing things like this."

"But mom, you didn't hear how miserable she was." Will sat between his parents, looking anxious for his friends.

"Yes but they need to work it out." Josie touched the skin around his eye. "Picking a fight with him isn't going to help."

"You don't understand mom. Warren is fiercely protective of those he cares about. I needed him to realize that he placed Layla very high on that list." She shook her head. "He helped me once before when I was being stupid now it's my turn to help him."

"Will…" Steve trailed off, not exactly sure what to say.

"It'll be fine Dad. I promise." He kissed his mother's cheek before leaving the table. "I'll be back. And hopefully without more bruises."

It was a short walk to Warren's place of employment and he quickly grabbed the group's usual booth. He didn't have long to wait before Warren made his was over.

"What the hell do you want, Stronghold?" Will looked up from the fortune cookie he was playing with into the menacing gaze of his friend. He could feel the temperature around him spike as Warren's temper flared at the smirk on Will's lips. "Look, with the way you acted today I really don't wanna be around you. So I recommend you find somewhere else to eat."

The 'or else' of that statement was left unsaid but Will definitely got that feel from the bit of fire licking around his friend's hand.

"You like her, don't you?"

Warren's jaw dropped momentarily but he regained his composure quickly. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Layla. You like her. That's why you reacted the way you did today."

"She's my friend. I would've done the same for any of the others."

"No, you wouldn't have." He held up his hand before Warren could protest. "That's not to say you wouldn't have done something it just would've been different. You would've tried to intimidate me, make me squirm, bite back with a sarcastic comment. Grab me by my shirt and lift me up to eye level with fire on your arms. You woulda shot a fireball at me. But not what you did. That was pure instinct to protect someone you really care about."

Clenching his jaw, Warren sat across from him. "Why are you so stuck on this? She's your girlfriend."

"No, she's not. And I know she told you."

"It doesn't make any difference. You still went out and we're still friends. Friends don't date each other's ex-girlfriends."

"But we never should have been dating. It was really nothing more than two friends hanging out." There was a pause. "That's one excuse gone. Any more?"

"I don't want to be a rebound or a substitute for you."

Will snorted. "Since she was the one who suggested we break up I don't think the rebound thing'll be an issue. And as for the substitute… you're really reaching man. Next."

"I'm not good enough for her."

"To quote one of Layla's favorite movies, can't remember which though. 'When is any man good enough for the woman he loves?' Or something like that."

"But I could hurt her. Really hurt her."

Will shook his head. "You're not your dad Warren. You never will be. And Layla's been around you long enough. She knows what your powers can do. She's strong."

"I know." They were quiet for some time, each lost in thought, when Warren broke it. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want my friends to be happy." Then he gave a wicked smile. "Plus I was another couple Natalya and I can go on a double date with."

"You're dating already? Does Layla know?"

"Of course she does and she's fine with it. As she told you it was a mutual decision to go our separate ways." Will turned serious. "She's my friend Warren, nothing more. And I would very much like for both my friends to be happy." He got up from the table, patted Warren's shoulder and went home. Leaving Warren to think on what he said.

O.o.o.o.o.O

The rest of the week at school was interesting. Layla tried to stay out of Warren's path as she tried to corner Will. Warren was torn, sometimes seeking out Layla and sometimes avoiding her. Will was trying to avoid them both.

It certainly made lunch interesting for the rest of the group, they had a revolving table. Will would rush in, grab lunch and run. Layla would come in hot on his heels, just miss him and sit down for a few minutes. Then Warren came in and would either sit across from her (making the tension sky rocket) or sit at the table next to them. In either case, Layla would leave soon after.

On Friday afternoon Layla sat back against the bus seat with a sigh and closed her eyes. "This week has been so long."

"Tell me about it."

She snapped to attention and stared at her evasive friend. "Will!" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You've been avoiding me like the plague all week and now you sit by me. What are you up to?"

"Up to? Me? Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't give me that wide-eyes-innocent look, Will Stronghold. It doesn't work." But she was fighting to keep the corners of her mouth level. When he added the pout she lost the fight completely. "Damn you. What do you want?"

"I just want to make sure my friend is all right."

"Shouldn't I ask you that?" She asked, looking pointedly at the sickly yellow-green bruise around his eye. "What did you guys argue about anyways?"

He chuckled softly. "Nothing really. I was annoying him and I pushed a little too far. Honest." Will squirmed under her suspicious stare. "You think we're almost home yet?"

"We have five more minutes. So spill."

"Actually," he looked at the window. "It's none of your business."

"What? Two of my friends brawl in the lunch room for apparently no reason and it's none of my business?"

He raised placating hands. "We already talked it out and we've come to an understanding." She didn't look completely convinced but refrained from pressing further. "So…" Will spoke casually. "You talk to Warren yet?"

Layla tensed at the mere mention of his name. "No. I haven't."

"You can't ignore it."

"Yes I can. Oh look, we're home." She pushed past him and ran off the bus.

"Layla. Layla!" She ground to a halt but didn't turn to him. "You say you screwed up your friendship with Warren but what are you doing to fix it? You have to make a move, Layla, because you know it's not likely he will. You've never been scared to make a stand before so why now?"

"Because." Her voice was soft and he had to strain to hear her. "It's never meant so much before."

"Then isn't it worth fighting for?"

Without turning, she nodded. Then, chin raised, back straight she walked the rest of the way home. She had to prepare for later.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Layla looked at her watch for the fourth time in five minutes. _He'll be here any minute._ Wrapping her coat tighter around her she tried to refrain from pacing. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. Terrified. Yeah, terrified was a good word.

She lost her battle to stay still and paced on the sidewalk under the streetlight. Three paces one way. Turn. Three paces the other way. Turn. Continue. She was so lost in thought she didn't see the figure standing at the edge of the lamp's light before her.

Warren watched with amusement as she moved back and forth. He cast a cautious glance at the garden next to the fence. The plants swayed with each step she took. Dormant plants blossomed like it was spring instead of deepest winter. Ivy grew along the white fence, covering everything in green. The owners were sure to get a surprise come morning.

The thought actually made him chuckle and Layla froze at the sound. "W-Warren." Her voice squeaked in surprise. And just like that, every single argument, every single speech she planned flew out of her mind.

"Layla." Her name rolled off his tongue wrapped in deepest, darkest velvet. She had to repress a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.

_Stop it. You can't think that way. Just say what you came to say and get it over with._ She took a deep breath. "Warren. I… I wanted to say I was sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did. Your friendship is very important to me and I don't want to lose it." A pause. "I don't want to lose you."

"So what? You want to forget it happened?"

His harsh tone shocked her. "I just want us to be able to go back to the way we were."

She reached out to touch his arm but he jerked away. "I don't think I can forget about it, Layla." He turned his back on her.

"Warren." She fought to hold back the tears but couldn't completely hide the pain in her voice. "I'm sorry."

When he turned back she was gone.

O.o.o.o.o.O

The walk home gave her the chance to suppress her regret and allowed her temper to heat. "That bastard!" She slammed her bedroom door viciously. "No matter which way I go he's not happy. I'm not even good enough to be friends with." She let out a frustrated scream. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

A tap at the window came and she groaned. Without paying attention she undid the latch. "I'm not in the mood at the moment, Will."

"Good." It wasn't Will crawling through her window like normal but Warren. Soon he stood in the middle of her room, coat tossed casually aside.

Eyes narrowed in anger she backed away from him. "What do you want?"

"I don't know about you but I'd rather keep my private discussions off the street."

"There's nothing left to discuss. You made that perfectly clear." She continued backing up as he stalked closer, her heart pounding as he watched her hungrily. "I wanted to put this behind us, remain friends but you shot me down. You-"

His lips crashed down on hers and, despite all intent otherwise, she melted into him. One of his hands splayed against her lower back while other tangled in her hair, angling her for a deeper kiss. His tongue traced her lips and she opened her mouth instantly. He stroked her tongue sensuously with his own. She moaned and her grip on his shoulders tightened as her knees gave out. In response he pulled her closer.

Abandoning her mouth, his teeth nipped her left ear. "This is why I can't forget." His mouth left a hot trail down her throat. Teeth grazed the edge of her neck and she moaned. "God, I want to hear you do that again."

Her hands fisted in his hair and brought his mouth forcefully back to her own. Now it was his turn to moan.

They battled for dominance of the kiss, enjoying every moment. His hand traced the skin of her back while hers danced over his abdomen and chest.

Breathing heavily, Layla broke from the kiss. "Warren." His mouth moved to her neck and, with a satisfied sound in the back of her throat, she arched allowing him better access. When he drifted over to her shoulder she decided to do some exploring of her own.

Copying his movements from before, she traced his throat with her tongue. He froze, concentrating on what she was doing. Cautiously she kissed her way down to where his neck met his shoulder. Her tongue flicked out then she bit down on the spot.

His hands spasmed and her head shot up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

His deep chuckle reassured her. Placing a kiss below her ear his voice reached her. "You didn't." If it was at all possible his voice deepened. "I liked it."

"Warren." His name came out more like a moan before she moved back to his neck. By the time they broke apart minutes later they both were panting. "We should… we should talk about this." She struggled to get the words past her parched throat.

He croaked an agreement, laying his forehead against hers. Nervously she licked her swollen lips and he had to close his eyes against the sight. He forced himself to calm down, dropping his temperature a few degrees. She whimpered at the loss of heat. His grip tightened in response.

Shaking her head she cleared away the cobwebs of passion and pushed gently away from him. "What're you… Why did you change your mind? I thought you didn't like me like this."

"I do. I have." He was tempted to lean forward and brush his lips against that sensitive spot behind her ear. But one look at her serious expression and he restrained himself. "Let's just say I was being stupid."

"Then why did you…"

He cursed himself for not being able to resist her pleading eyes. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath. "A few reasons. I didn't want to be a stand in or a rebound."

"You're not!"

A wry smile touched his mouth and he dropped his head over her shoulder. He loved her enthusiasm. "It's not normal to date your best friend's girl."

"But-"

"I know." His lips ghosted across her throat and she shivered. "I've already got the info on that. But that doesn't mean I won't hurt you."

Wrapping her arms around him she closed the distance between them. "Please, don't do that. Don't put yourself down. I love you just the way you are."

He smirked. "Don't be so mushy, Hippie. You know I'm allergic."

Laughing, she pulled far enough back to see his face. "Besides, I can handle you."

"Oh really?" Half mischievous and half hungry he pulled her to him. "Let's see what you can do."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Will walked into school Monday to see his two friends leaning against the locker. The casual observer wouldn't see anything out of the ordinary between them but he could. They stood closer, their bodies positioned differently. It was good to see.

"Well, it's good to see you guys aren't being stupid anymore."

"Shut it, Stronghold."

The fact that Warren's comment lacked its usual bite was more than enough proof for Will but he couldn't help another poke. Slowly he reached for Warren's collar and tugged it aside. "The hickey was a big clue too." He only had time to catch Layla's bright blush before being chased down the hall by a fireball.

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

AN: Hoped you liked it. It just wouldn't leave me alone until I got it out. Review if you would, that would be wonderful. If not, suit yourself. Ciao.


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